Systems and methods for completing transactions via lockboxes

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving, from a user device, a transaction service request including a transaction identification and a transaction time; identifying a first plurality of lockbox locations that can complete the transaction service request based on the transaction identification and the transaction time, the first plurality of lockbox locations being within a threshold proximity of a geographic area associated with the user account; receiving, from the user device, a selection of one of the lockbox locations of the first plurality of lockbox locations that can complete the transaction service request; configuring a physical lockbox of the selected lockbox location; receiving an unlock attempt; and transmitting an unlock command to the physical lockbox to unlock the door of the physical lockbox based on a comparison of the unlock attempt to a lockbox locking passcode.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/751,103, filed May 23, 2022, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORCOMPLETING TRANSACTIONS VIA LOCKBOXES,” which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/466,706, filed Mar. 22, 2017, entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPLETING TRANSACTIONS VIA LOCKBOXES,” nowU.S. Pat. No. 11,341,502, which claims the benefit of and priority toU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/318,054, filed Apr. 4, 2016,entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPLETING TRANSACTIONS VIALOCKBOXES,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

Financial institutions provide a plethora of financial services tocustomers to assist in the completion of transactions and to meet theneeds of the customers. One service includes assisting with transactionsthat involve “in-hand” funds, for example, the withdrawal or deposit ofcash. Currently, a customer may engage in the withdrawals and depositsof these funds by walking into a branch location of a financialinstitution and initiating the withdrawal or deposit request viainteraction with a teller at the branch. However, the customer is onlyable to access the financial institution during operating hours, whichare usually between the hours of 9 AM to 5 PM. Many customers may findthese hours inconvenient and in conflict with their work schedules,requiring them to leave a job during the work day to complete thedesired transaction. Some financial institution branch locations mayoffer an afterhours drop-box deposit service, but this is limited toavailability and requires the customer to travel to a branch locationthat offers the service, the location possibly being far away from thecustomer's location. While a financial institution may have automatedteller machines (ATMs) in various locations outside of a branch locationto allow the customer, at any hour of the day, to withdraw cash afterauthenticating at the ATM, the type of transactions may be limited tojust withdraws and deposits. Despite the ability to engage in these“in-hand” fund transactions inside branch locations and at ATMs, thereis a need for more flexible systems and methods to engage in thesetransactions, more convenience, and a more time effective method tocomplete these transactions.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments relate to a method performed by a processor of afinancial institution computing system. One example method includesreceiving a lockbox pickup transaction request from an account holder toexecute a transaction from a financial account of the account holder.The lockbox pickup transaction request includes at least one of atransaction type, a transaction amount, a transaction location, and atransaction time. A financial institution lockbox hub service call isgenerated, in response to the request. The lockbox hub service callincluding at least one of the transaction type, the transaction amount,the transaction location, and the transaction time. The lockbox hubservice call is transmitted to the financial institution's lockboxsystem 106 that will be executing the transaction with the customer. Thefinancial institution transmits a transaction details message to theaccount holder containing the pertinent details, including thetransaction time window and location of the financial institution'slockbox. Once the transaction is completed at the financialinstitution's lockbox, the lockbox transmits a notification of thecompleted transaction to the financial institution's computing system.The financial institution adjusts the account holder's financial accountaccordingly.

Various other embodiments relate to a method performed by a processor ofa financial institution's lockbox computing system. One example methodincludes receiving, from a financial institution computing system, alockbox hub service call. The lockbox hub service call includes at leastone of a transaction type, a transaction amount, a transaction location,a transaction time and a financial account of an account holder to usein the transaction. An arrival notification is received, thenotification responsive to the account holder arriving at the financialinstitution lockbox. An account holder authentication is received toconfirm the account holder who arrived at the lockbox is the accountholder through which the lockbox hub service call was generated. Anotification of completed transaction is generated and transmitted tothe financial institution computing system.

Various other embodiments relate to a method performed by a processor ofan account holder at a financial institution computing system. Oneexample method includes transmitting a lockbox pickup transactionrequest to a financial institution computing system. The lockbox pickuptransaction request including at least one of a transaction type, atransaction amount, a transaction location, a transaction time and afinancial account of the account holder. A transaction details messageis received, the transaction details message to the account holdercontaining the pertinent details, including the transaction time windowand location of the financial institution's lockbox. An arrivalnotification is transmitted, the notification responsive to the accountholder arriving at the financial institution lockbox. An account holderauthentication is transmitted to confirm the account holder who arrivedat the lockbox is the account holder through which the service call wasgenerated. A notification of completed transaction is receivedindicating the transaction details and financial institution accountinformation post transaction.

These and other features, together with the organization and manner ofoperation thereof, will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawingsdescribed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lockbox pickup transaction processingsystem, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of an access control device and itsinteractions with the lockboxes and the financial institution computingsystem.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method of transmitting a lockbox pickuptransaction request, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of completing a lockbox pickuptransaction request, according to an example embodiment.

FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate display screens that may be displayed to the userduring the process of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to the figures, systems and methods for withdrawing,depositing and exchanging currency (e.g., U.S. dollars, euros, yen,etc.) via a lockbox pickup service using a primary fiat currency accountare described. The embodiments described herein alleviate the timeuncertainty and inconvenience associated with conducting currencytransactions involving the physical passing of items (e.g., coins andbills) that are limited to a financial institution's operating hours.For example, various embodiments reduce the uncertainty of wait time andorganize the transaction before the account holder arrives at thefinancial institution's lockbox location to complete the transaction.The described systems and methods enable account holders to easilyengage in withdrawals, deposits, currency exchanges, and the like inaccordance with the account holder's terms, time and schedule, at anyone of the lockbox locations near the customer.

As described in further detail below, the account holder interacts withthe financial institution, at the leisure of the account holder, tosubmit a request to complete a transaction via one of the financialinstitution's lockboxes. The account holder selects from a variety ofoptions including a transaction type, a transaction amount, atransaction location, and a transaction time, in order to structure atransaction to the account holder's needs. For example, the accountholder can interact with the financial institution via a financialinstitution application or website in real-time to receive open lockboxpickup transaction times and locations for all of the financialinstitution lockbox locations. On the back-end, the financialinstitution works with the available lockboxes to provide the accountholder with the available time slots and locations to complete theaccount holder's transactions. Once a request is submitted, thefinancial institution sends a set of instructions to the lockboxlocation that hosts the selected lockbox, in order to facilitate theorganization of the transaction items to complete the transaction. Theaccount holder can submit the request on any web-enabled device, forexample a desktop, laptop, cellphone, or other mobile computing devices.The request relates to a deposit of funds, a withdrawal of funds, anexchange of a first type of funds for a second type of funds (e.g., aforeign exchange transaction, an exchange of bills for coins, anexchange of coins for bills, etc.), or the like. Once the request issubmitted, the financial institution identifies a suitable lockbox forthe transaction, informs the account holder of the lockbox location andthe transaction complete time, and configures the lockbox for completionof the transaction (e.g., by loading the lockbox with funds).Accordingly, the account holder will have certainty that, when arrivingat the lockbox location at the designated date and time, the transactioncan be completed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lockbox transaction requestprocessing system 100, according to an example embodiment. The lockboxtransaction request processing system 100 includes one or more customercomputing system(s) 102, a financial institution computing system 104associated with a financial institution (e.g., a bank), and a lockboxcomputing system 106. Each of the customer computing systems 102, thefinancial institution computing system 104, and the lockbox computingsystem 106 are in operative communication with each other via a network108. The network 108 may include, for example, the Internet, cellularnetworks, proprietary banking networks, and the like. In somearrangements, the financial institution computing system 104 and thelockbox computing system 106 are in communication via a secure networkor intranet.

Generally, customers (e.g., an account holder at the financialinstitution) may use the lockbox transaction request processing system100 to submit a request to the financial institution computing system104 to engage in a requested transaction at a lockbox located at one ofthe lockbox locations associated with the financial institution (e.g.,the lockbox computing system 106). Through a user interface provided bythe financial institution (e.g., via a smartphone application, via anonline banking website, etc.), the customer can authenticate himself asan account holder with the financial institution, select a desiredtransaction type (e.g., withdrawal, deposit, exchange, etc.), providerelevant transaction details (e.g., amount of currency, type ofcurrency, desired date and time of transaction), and identify a locationof a lockbox 148 where the customer can complete the transaction at thecustomer's leisure (e.g., by selecting an available lockbox on the userinterface, by affirming a financial institution suggested availablelockbox, etc.). The financial institution computing system 104automatically generates and executes commands to direct the lockboxlocation to complete the customer's request. The lockbox computingsystem 106 controls the lockboxes 148 at a given lockbox location. Thelockbox computing system 106 is structured to configure a lockbox 148 atits location to be ready for the customer's transaction.

The customer computing systems 102 include a network interface circuit112, a display 114, an input/output device 116, and a lockbox bankingcircuit 118. The network interface 112 is structured to facilitateoperative communication between the customer computing systems 102 andother systems and devices over the network 108. The customer computingsystems 102 can include any of smartphones, tablet computing systems,laptop computing systems, desktop computing systems, PDAs, smartwatches, smart glasses, tablets, etc.

The display 114 is structured to present user interfaces to the accountholders. For example, when customers use the customer computing systems102 to access a financial institution application or website, thedisplay 114 presents account information, transaction information, andthe like, to the customers. The input/output device 116 is structured toreceive input from the customer via the customer computing systems 102.In some arrangements, the display 114 and the input output device 115are combined (e.g., as a touchscreen display). As described in furtherdetail below, the input/output relates to lockbox transaction requests,location selection, personal information, and other information used tofacilitate transactions between the financial institution, thecustomers, and the lockbox locations. The input/output device 116 can beused by the customer to provide transaction details (e.g., transactiontype, lockbox location, transaction amount in U.S.D. currency or foreigncurrency, etc.) to be carried out by the financial institution computingsystem 104. The input/output device 116 may include a keyboard, a mouse,a touchscreen, a biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), amicrophone, a camera, etc.

The lockbox banking circuit 118 is structured to provide the customerwith a user interface to arrange for financial transactions with thefinancial institution via one of the lockboxes 148. For example, via thelockbox banking circuit 118, the customer can withdraw funds, depositfunds, exchange funds or complete similar transactions at a lockbox 148.The lockbox banking circuit 118 comprises program logic (e.g., storedexecutable instructions) structured to implement at least some of thefunctions described herein. In some arrangements, the lockbox bankingcircuit 118 is created by accessing a lockbox banking website via a webbrowser (e.g., Safari®, Chrome®, Internet Explorer®, etc.) structured toreceive and display web pages received from the financial institutioncomputing system 104. In other arrangements, the lockbox banking circuit118 includes a dedicated application (e.g., a smartphone application), atext message interface, or another program suitable for communicatingwith the financial institution computing system 104 over the network 108in order to facilitate the customers' ability to have a lockbox 148prepped and ready for the customer specified transaction. The customerlogs into his or her existing financial institution account by providingonline banking credentials (e.g., a username and password) via thelockbox banking circuit 118 and submit a lockbox transaction request,with available lockbox locations and pickup windows in response to thecustomer transaction type and customer location. The lockbox bankingcircuit 118 can also provide the customer with transaction detailsincluding lockbox location, lockbox number, or any passcode information.Example interfaces generated by the lockbox banking circuit 118 fordisplay to the customer via the display 114 are shown in FIGS. 5A-D.

In some arrangements, the financial institution computing system 104provides the lockbox banking circuit 118 in part through a softwareapplication made available for download and installation on the customercomputing systems 102 (e.g., via the online banking website of the bank,via an app store, or in another manner). Responsive to a user selectionof an appropriate link, the lockbox banking circuit 118 is transmittedto the customer computing system 102 from the financial institutioncomputing system 104 and cause itself to be installed on the customercomputing system 102. After installation, the thus-modified customercomputing system 102 includes the lockbox banking circuit 118 forrequesting a lockbox transaction through the customer's deposit account(embodied as a processor and instructions stored in non-transitorymemory that are executed by the processor).

The financial institution computing system 104 includes a networkinterface circuit 120, a lockbox management circuit 122, a financialinstitution control circuit 128, an account processing circuit 130, andan account database 132. The financial institution computing system 104may, for example, comprise one or more servers each with one or moreprocessors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, sendand receive data stored in the memory, and perform other operations toimplement the financial services described herein associated with theprocessing modules, databases, and processes. The financial institutioncomputing system 104 may also provide banking services that includedemand deposit accounts, credit services, loan services, investmentservices, and the like.

The network interface 120 is structured to facilitate operative datacommunication between the financial institution computing system 104 andother systems and devices over the network 108 (e.g., the customercomputing systems 102, the lockbox computing system 106, etc.).

The lockbox management circuit 122 is structured to facilitate theback-end process necessary to conduct lockbox transaction via thecustomer's financial account 134. For example, the lockbox managementcircuit 122 is structured to receive, generate and send instructions(e.g., based on a customer transaction request) to a given lockbox 148via the lockbox computing system 106 to facilitate the requestedtransaction. The lockbox management circuit 122 includes the requestcircuit 124, the service call circuit 126 and a lockbox database 127.

The request circuit 124 is structured to receive and process a customertransaction request to engage in the lockbox service. The requestcircuit 124 has access to the lockbox database 127. The lockbox database127 contains all information regarding the locations of the lockboxes148, the lockbox types, the lockbox availability, lockbox locationcurrencies supply and other information related to attributes of acustomer transaction request. For example, the request circuit 124 isinitiated in response to the customer opening the lockbox bankingcircuit 118 on the customer computing system 102 and initiating alockbox transaction request. In some arrangements, the request circuit124 is in real-time communication with the customer interface such thatthe information fields for the request displayed on a given customercomputing system 102 updates in response to the customer entries. Forexample, if the customer were to select the exchange currency option andenter the customer's zip code, the request circuit 124 determines, byaccessing the lockbox database 127, that out of the plurality of lockboxlocations near the customer's location, only two of the locations couldcomplete the requested transaction. The request circuit 124 could limitthe display of the lockbox locations to those two lockboxes 148. Inother arrangements, the request circuit 124 receives all the relevanttransaction request details (e.g., transaction type, lockbox location,transaction amount in U.S.D. currency or foreign currency, etc.) andthen makes the determination of feasibility. For example, the requestcircuit 124 could receive a transaction request for a withdrawal of 20U.S.D., by 5:00 PM at the lockbox location on 123 Street. The requestcircuit 124 could access the lockbox database 127 and determine that theuser-submitted location is capable of completing the requestedtransaction, resulting in the request circuit 124 approving thattransaction. Alternatively, the request circuit 124 could determine thatthe requested lockbox location would not be able to complete therequested transaction, and the request circuit 124 could deny therequest or provide to the requesting customer alternative locations ortimes that could complete the transaction.

Upon approval of a request by the request circuit 124, the service callcircuit 126 is structured to generate and transmit the transactioninstructions (e.g., transaction type, passcode information, transactionamount in U.S.D. currency or foreign currency, etc.) to the lockboxcomputing system 106. The lockbox computing system 106 is located at alockbox location that has one or more lockboxes 148. For example, asingle lockbox computing system 106 may control the operation of aplurality of lockboxes 148 located in a convenience store, in a bankbranch lobby, or the like. The service call circuit 126 is also incommunication with the lockbox database 127. The service call circuit126 identifies a specific lockbox 148 and organizes the passcodeinformation for the transaction request based on the information in thelockbox database 127. For example, the request circuit 124 can compileand provide the finalized request information to the service callcircuit 126 which in turn assigns a lockbox 148 at the lockbox locationfor the transaction and generates a passcode type for the lockbox lock.The service call circuit 126 includes a command to lock the lockboxnumber in accordance with the passcode information. In somearrangements, the service call circuit 126 can be structured to transmitthe finalized transaction details, including the lockbox number andpasscode information, to the customer computing system 102. As will beappreciated, the service call circuit 126 can be structured tocommunicate with or control a delivery mechanism (e.g., human worker atthe branch, automated dispenser, autonomous device, drone, and thelike).

The financial institution control circuit 128 is structured tofacilitate authentication of a requesting customer at a lockbox location(e.g., at a specific lockbox 148, at the lockbox computing system 106,etc.). The financial institution control circuit 128 is in communicationwith the access control circuit 144 of the lockbox computing system 106to determine whether the passcode and information provided at a lockbox148 in a lockbox location is correct, in order to grant the requestingperson access to the lockbox contents. In some embodiments, thefinancial institution control circuit 128 facilitates the storage of thelockbox passcode, customer identification and associated lockbox numberfor all lockbox transaction requests, authenticating a request event ata lockbox 148 captured and transmitted by the access control device 140.The information can be stored in the lockbox database 127, the accountsdatabase 132, or either location. In some arrangements, the financialinstitution control circuit 128 receives a completed transaction detailsfrom the lockbox computing system 106, the completed transaction detailsincluding the remaining contents of the lockbox 148 to adjust thecustomer's financial account accordingly. An example embodiment of thefinancial institution control circuit 128 is described in FIG. 2 , whichis described in further detail below.

The account processing circuit 130 is structured to track, maintain andincorporate transaction details for an account enrolled in the lockboxtransaction service with the financial institution. The accountprocessing circuit 130 interacts with the lockbox management circuit 124and the financial institution control circuit 128 to properly adjust thecustomer's financial account. In some arrangements, the accountprocessing circuit 130 debits or credits the customer's financialaccount when the lockbox management circuit 124 completes a request, inorder to prevent double usage or early usage of the transaction funds.Upon the financial institution control circuit 130 receiving thecompleted transaction details, the account processing circuit 130finalizes the adjustment of the customer's financial account (ifapplicable). The account processing circuit 130 can also check to ensurethat the customer is authorized to use the customer's existing financialaccount to use the lockbox transaction service. Additionally, theaccount processing circuit 130 stores all transaction information in anaccounts database 132 within the financial institution computing system102. In some embodiments either the lockbox computing system 106 or thefinancial institution computing system 104 keeps track of all thelockbox transaction that are submitted and completed by a customer, inorder to comply with any regulatory rules. In other embodiments, boththe financial institution and the lockbox computing systems 104, 106keep track of the transaction history, comprising the details fromrequest submission to completion by the customer.

The financial account database 132 is structured to store accountinformation and transaction records for a plurality of customers of thefinancial institution. The accounts database 132 stores, for example,information regarding an account holder's, age, membership date, accountnumbers and type of accounts held by the customer, various statements(e.g., credit/debit statements for the accounts), passcode information,and so on for a plurality of account holders. The account database 132stores details regarding types of accounts held within a financialinstitution, the type of account holder, whether he or she is authorizedfor the lockbox transactions, information and video of each lockboxtransaction, and so on for a plurality of customers. A specific account134 may have a multi-use passcode, for example, a lockbox fob or abiometric sample, that is stored in the accounts database 132 and usedby the financial institution control circuit 128 to authenticate acustomer. In particular, the account database 132 stores eachtransaction that occurred, and each payment includes the amount of thetransaction, the transaction type and the source of the transaction.

The lockbox computing system 106 includes a network interface circuit136, a location access sensor 138, a lockbox processing circuit 140, alockbox database 142 an access control circuit 144, a contentverification circuit 146. Generally, the lockbox computing system 106controls the operation of and access to a plurality of lockboxes 148.The lockbox computing system 106 facilitates the instructions generatedby the financial institution for a requested transaction. The lockboxcomputing system 106 is structured to receive a service call from thefinancial institution computing system 104, configure a lockbox 148 atthe given lockbox location in accordance with the transaction details,and facilitate the authentication and completion of the transaction atthe lockbox 148 when the customer arrives. In some arrangements, thelockbox computing system 106 controls a plurality of lockboxes 148 at agiven location of lockboxes 148. For example, a building containingfifty lockboxes is controlled by a first lockbox computing system 106connected to the financial institution computing system 104, and anotherlocation containing ten lockboxes is controlled by a second lockboxcomputing system 106 connected to the financial institution computingsystem 104. In other arrangements, the lockbox computing system 106controls facilitating the instructions to, authentication and unlockingof all of the lockboxes 148 in the service. In some arrangements, eachlockbox computing system 106 is associated with a single lockbox 148.

The network interface 136 structured to facilitate operative datacommunication between the lockbox computing system 106 and other systemsand devices over the network 108 (e.g., the customer computing systems102, the financial institution computing system 104, etc.).

The location access sensor 138 is structured to grant access to thelockbox location to a requesting entity. In some arrangements, thecustomer cannot access the lockboxes 148 until the customerauthenticates, and is granted access, to the lockbox location facility.For example, there may be a locked door that requires the customer toswipe a credit or debit card issued by the financial institution tounlock the door to the lockbox facility. The location access sensor 138is in communication with the financial institution computing system togain access to the requesting customer's passcode and accountinformation in order to authenticate the customer.

The lockbox processing circuit 140 is structured to track, maintain, andincorporate lockbox transaction details for an account enrolled in thelockbox transaction service with the financial institution. The lockboxprocessing circuit 140 is structured to receive a service call from thelockbox transaction service call circuit 126 from the financialinstitution computing system 104. Upon receiving the transaction servicecall, the lockbox processing circuit 140 ensures the lockbox 148 at thelockbox location is ready for the customer. For example, the lockboxprocessing circuit 140 facilitates a print out of a transaction requestinstruction on a computer screen of an employee at the lockbox location.The employee would then load the lockbox 148 in accordance with theinstructions, for example, placing an amount of U.S.D. into a lockbox148 and setting the passcode for the lockbox 148. In some arrangements,the lockbox processing circuit 140 is operably connected to a processorthat controls the lockboxes 148, wherein the contents of the lockbox 148are loaded through an automated service. In some embodiments, acombination of employee interaction and automated actions are utilizedto get the lockbox 148 ready for the customer requested transaction.

The access control circuit 144 is structured to receive anauthentication request at the lockbox computing system 106 that managesthe lockbox location and the access control circuit 144 determineswhether to grant the requestor access to the lockbox 148. The accesscontrol circuit 144 is in communication with the financial institutioncontrol circuit 128 of the financial institution computing system 104 todetermine whether the passcode and information provided at a lockbox 148in a lockbox location is correct, in order to grant the requestingperson access to the lockbox 148 contents. The access control circuit144 is operably connected to the lockboxes 148. In some embodiments, oneaccess control circuit 144 controls a plurality of lockboxes 148. Inother embodiments, one access control circuit 144 controls a singlelockbox 148. In some arrangements, the access control circuit 144transmits a completed transaction details to the financial institutioncomputing system, the completed transaction details including theremaining contents of the lockbox 148 to adjust the customer's financialaccount accordingly. In some arrangements, the access control devicecontains the customer identification and the customer passcodes for thelockbox transactions. An example embodiment of the access controlcircuit 144 is further described in FIG. 2 .

The content verification circuit 146 is structured to examine thecontents of a lockbox 148. The content verification circuit 146 is setup to ensure the proper transaction materials are placed in the lockbox148 and/or removed from the lockbox 148. For example, the contentverification circuit may be set up to an ATM-like device that dispensesa currency amount into a lockbox 148 to satisfy a withdrawal request orcan receive an amount of currency to satisfy a deposit request orexchange request. Accordingly, the content verification circuit 146 mayinclude any of bill dispensers, coin dispensers, bill receivers, coinreceivers, cameras, and the like. The content verification circuit 146is set up to alert the receipt or placement of currency into a lockbox148. For example, the content verification circuit 146 could be operablyconnected to a sensor that generates an alert when an amount of currencyis removed from the lockbox 148. The content verification circuit 146determines that the transaction has been completed and locks the lockbox148.

The lockboxes 148 are structured to be a secure receptacle to completethe transaction. Each lockbox 148 is connected to the access controlcircuit 144 and the content verification circuit 146 of the lockboxcomputing system 106 to facilitate the locking and unlocking of thelockbox 148. The lockbox 148 can be configured to facilitate a varietyof transactions. An example embodiment of the lockbox 148 is furtherdescribed below with respect to FIG. 2 .

Referring now to FIG. 2 , a detailed view of the access control circuit144 and its interactions with the lockboxes 148 and the financialinstitution computing system 104 is shown according to an exampleembodiment. The access control circuit 144 is operably connected to atleast one lockbox 148 and to the financial institution control circuit128 via the network 108. The access control circuit 144 is located at alocation containing a plurality of lockboxes 148 and is connected to andcontrols the unlocking at each lockbox 148 in the location. The accesscontrol circuit 144 controls the unlocking/locking of a lockbox 148 viathe locking mechanism 220. The financial institution control circuit 128is located in a financial institution computing system 104 off-site fromthe lockbox location.

The lockbox 148 is structured to facilitate a transaction, for example,a withdrawal, a deposit or a currency exchange. In some arrangements,the lockbox 148 includes a camera 216, a sensor 218 and a lockingmechanism 220. In some arrangements, the lockbox 148 has an ATM-likedevice 217 inside of it to facilitate the transaction (e.g., asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 1 ). For example, if the customerrequested a withdrawal transaction, a device could dispense the amountof U.S.D. that the customer requested. In a deposit transaction, adevice could allow the customer to insert the currency, for exampleutilizing an apparatus that takes in paper and coin currency and is ableto determine the type and amount of the currency. In exchangetransactions, both mechanisms can be used in tandem, the receivingapparatus to take and determine the customer provided U.S.D. and thedispensing apparatus to provide the customer with the equivalent amountof foreign currency. The device could be connected to a repository ofcurrency or each lockbox 148 could store the currency within itself,being loaded by an employee at the lockbox location or through automatedmechanisms. In other arrangements, the lockbox 148 could contain openspace for which the customer can place currency, remove currency, or, inexchange transaction, remove and place currencies. For example, thelockbox could be similar to a locker. A lockbox location has a pluralityof lockbox types, with different mechanisms or features in a singlelockbox 148 to facilitate certain types of transactions. In somearrangements, the customer could request a lockbox type in addition totheir transaction details.

The lockbox 148 could be constructed to incorporate the various passcodeoptions and the plurality of input devices, 202, 204, 206 instead ofhaving a central input terminal. In some arrangements, the outside ofthe lockbox 148 has a biometric sensor, a card reader, a keypad, a barcode sensor, a fob sensor, or the like. In other arrangements, there isa single input terminal for the lockbox location that allows for acustomer to select a lockbox number and provide the authenticationinput. In some arrangements, the passcode options available to thecustomer are limited to the available lockbox authentication devices onthe lockboxes 148 at the selected lockbox location.

The locking mechanism 220 controls access to the lockbox 148. Thelocking mechanism 220 may include an electronic lock, latch, or othermechanism configured to lock, unlock, open, close, or otherwise controlaccess through an access point. In some embodiments, the lockingmechanism 220 includes a solenoid, motor, actuator, or other mechanicaldevice configured to physically lock or unlock a door or other accesspoint. In some embodiments, locking mechanism 220 includes a magneticlock configured to selectively power and de-power an electromagnet thatholds a door in a locked position. The access control circuit 144receives access requests via the card reader 202 or other user inputdevices (e.g., by receiving or reading a security credential from a useror user device). The access control circuit 144 processes the accessrequests using the access control processing circuit 210 and generatesaccess request events. The access request events may include timestamps,access control device IDs, security credentials, user IDs, or any otherinformation describing the access requests. The access control circuit144 sends the access request events to the financial institution controlcircuit 128 via the network 108. In response to the financialinstitution control circuit 128, the access control circuit 144 operatesthe locking mechanism to allow or deny access to the lockbox 148. Uponcompletion of a granted access event (e.g., removal of currency,placement of currency, etc.), the lockbox 148 can be automaticallyre-locked.

The camera 216 is any device that records the lockbox 148 during thetransaction. The camera 216 may be situated in view of an array oflockboxes 148 in the lockbox location, it may be situated inside oroutside of the lockbox 148. In some arrangements, there are a pluralityof cameras 216 associated with the lockbox 148 and the lockbox location.In such arrangements, cameras may be placed both inside of the lockbox148 and in the surrounding area such that transactions can be monitored.In some embodiments, the camera 216 is not triggered until the customerbegins to input a passcode into a lockbox 148 or into the lockboxcomputing system 106. In other arrangements, the camera is constantlymonitoring the location and the lockboxes 148. In some embodiments, thevideo captured by the camera 216 during the transaction is parsed outand sent to the financial institution along with the completedtransaction details.

The sensor 218 can be any device inside the lockbox 148 to facilitatethe transaction. In a deposit transaction, the sensor could allow thecustomer to insert the currency, for example utilizing an apparatus thattakes in paper and coin currency and is able to determine the type andamount of the currency. In exchange transactions, both mechanisms can beused in tandem, the receiving apparatus to take and determine thecustomer provided U.S.D. and the dispensing apparatus to provide thecustomer with the equivalent amount of foreign currency. In someembodiments, the lockbox 148 has a sensor that can determine whencurrency is removed or placed into the lockbox 148, for example apressure sensor. When detecting a change in the weight of the lockbox148 following an access event, the sensor 218 will communicate to theaccess control circuit 144 the change, in order to re-lock the lockbox148. In some arrangements, there is no sensor in the lockbox 148 and alockbox location employee inspects the lockbox 148 after the transactionto ensure that it was carried out in accordance with the customerrequest. In some embodiments, the sensor 218 is connected to theATM-like receiving and dispensing currency device 217. For example, thesensor 218 is set up to alert the receipt or placement of currency intoa lockbox 148 or generates an alert when an amount of currency isremoved from the lockbox 148 via the currency device 217.

The access control circuit 144 is connected to the lockbox 148 and aninput terminal 201 containing a plurality of input devices, 202, 204,206. The access control circuit 144 is structured to authenticate aninput terminal 201 access request by a customer at a lockbox locationand determine whether to unlock the lockbox 148. As shown in FIG. 2 ,the access control circuit 144 contains an access control processor 210,lockbox memory 212, a communication interface 214, and a lockingmechanism 220. In some arrangements, the access control circuit 144 mayhave a single input terminal 201 for receiving customer input, thesingle input terminal being connected to the locking mechanisms of allthe lockboxes 148 at the location. In other arrangements, the accesscontrol circuit 144 may be operably connected to input devices thatreside on each individual lockbox 148. The plurality of input devicesincludes a card reader 202 (e.g., an IC card reader), a biometric reader204, and a keypad 206. The access control circuit 144 uses the inputdevices to receive input from a customer or from a security devicepossessed by the customer. For example, the card reader 202 isconfigured to read a smartcard possessed by a customer and automaticallyobtain a card ID from the smart card. Using either the card reader 202or the keypad 206 the customer can input their user identification toprovide the access control system 128 with the details to retrieve thepasscode for the specific transaction. The biometric sensor 204 isstructured to read a fingerprint, voice print, or other biometricmarker. The keypad 206 is configured to receive an access code or othersecurity credential from a user. In some embodiments, other inputs couldbe received by the customer, including a bar code scanner, a near fieldcommunication device, or a key fob. In some arrangements, a customer mayhave to provide two levels of authentication at the plurality of inputdevices. For example, the customer needs to use a card reader 202 togain access to the lockbox location, and then use a keypad 206 attachedto the individual lockbox 148 to gain access to the lockbox 148contents.

The access control processor 210 is connected to a lockbox memory 212and is structured to receive a password at one of the lockbox's 148 in alockbox location and determine whether to grant access to the lockbox148 to the requesting party. The access control processor 210 may be ageneral purpose or specific purpose processor, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs), a group of processing components, or other suitable processingcomponents. The access control processor 210 is structured to executecomputer code or instructions stored in memory 212 or received fromother computer readable media (e.g., CD-ROM, network storage, a remoteserver, etc.). When the processor 210 executes instructions stored inthe lockbox memory 212, the processor generally structures the accesscontrol processor 210 to complete such activities. The lockbox memorycircuit 212 stores instructions related to receiving and transmitting alockbox access request. The memory circuit 212 can also be structured tocontain instructions for examining a lockbox 148 after it has beenaccessed by communicating with a sensor 218. For example, following anaccess event at the lockbox 148 configured for a deposit request, thesensor 218 determines if the lockbox 148 contains currency by examiningthe change in weight from pre-access to post-access.

The communication interface 214 is structured to provide communicationswith the access control system 128 over the network 108. Thecommunications interface 214 may include wired or wireless interfaces(e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, wireterminals, etc.) for conducting data communications with varioussystems, devices, or networks. For example, the communications interface214 can include an Ethernet card and port for sending and receiving datavia an Ethernet-based communications network. As another example, thecommunications interface 424 includes a WiFi transceiver forcommunicating via a wireless communications network. The communicationsinterface 214 may be structured to communicate via local area networks(e.g., a building LAN), wide area networks (e.g., the Internet, acellular network, etc.), and/or conduct direct communications (e.g.,NFC, Bluetooth, etc.). In various embodiments, the communicationsinterface 214 is configured to conduct wired and/or wirelesscommunications. For example, the communications interface 214 mayinclude one or more wireless transceivers (e.g., a WiFi transceiver, aBluetooth transceiver, a NFC transceiver, a cellular transceiver, etc.)for communicating with mobile devices, for example with an employee atthe lockbox location.

Turning now to the financial institution control circuit 128 in FIG. 2 .The financial institution control circuit 128 is shown to include aprocessor 212, financial institution memory 234, a communicationsinterface 236 and a lockbox authentication database 238. The financialinstitution control circuit 128 is located within the financialinstitution computing system 104, as shown in FIG. 1 . In somearrangements, the financial institution control circuit 128 is locatedwithin the lockbox computing system 106 at the lockbox location.

The communications interface 236 may include wired or wirelessinterfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers,transceivers, wire terminals, etc.) for conducting data communicationswith various systems, devices, or networks. For example, thecommunications interface 236 can include an Ethernet card and port forsending and receiving data via an Ethernet-based communications network.As another example, the communications interface 236 may include a WiFitransceiver for communicating via a wireless communications network. Thecommunications interface 236 is configured to communicate via local areanetworks (e.g., a building LAN), wide area networks (e.g., the Internet,a cellular network, etc.), and/or conduct direct communications (e.g.,NFC, Bluetooth, etc.). In various embodiments, the communicationsinterface 438 is configured to conduct wired and/or wirelesscommunications. For example, the communications interface 236 includesone or more wireless transceivers (e.g., a WiFi transceiver, a Bluetoothtransceiver, a NFC transceiver, a cellular transceiver, etc.) forcommunicating with mobile devices.

The lockbox authentication database 238 is plurality of passcodeinformation for an account holder/customer who is one of the partiesattempting to gain access to a lockbox 148. The database links acustomer identifier to a plurality of authentication information thatcan be used to approve access to the lockbox 148. The customeridentifier for an account 240 can be, for example, a customer name,email address, phone number, picture or actual name of the customer. Theauthentication information can be a customer's passcode, biometricsample, lockbox fob information, a token, and the like. The customerpasscode for the lockbox 148 can be temporary, for example, a financialinstitution generated string, or a multi-use passcode for lockbox 148 orfinancial institution transactions. The lockbox authentication database238 stores the passcode and transaction information for the lockboxtransactions at the lockbox location. To accomplish this, the lockboxauthentication database 238 is in communication with the lockboxprocessing circuit 140.

The processor 232 and financial institution memory circuit 234 arestructured to receive a authentication request from an access controlcircuit 144 at one of the lockbox locations and determine whether thereceived passcode and information matches the authentication informationin the financial institution's database. The financial institutioncontrol circuit 128 can determine whether to provide a positive ornegative authentication value for the provided information of therequesting party. The processor 232 may be a general purpose or specificpurpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group ofprocessing components, or other suitable processing components. Theprocessor 232 is structured to execute computer code or instructionsstored in memory 212 or received from other computer readable media(e.g., CD-ROM, network storage, a remote server, etc.). When theprocessor executes instructions stored in memory 234, the processorgenerally structures the circuit 128 to complete such activities. Thefinancial institution memory circuit 234 stores instructions related toreceiving and authorizing authentication information for a lockboxaccess request. In some arrangements, the processor 232 may transmit therelevant customer identifiers and passcode information to the accesscontrol circuit 144 upon confirmation of the customer transactionrequest. For example, it is included in a service call from thefinancial institution computing system 104 to the lockbox computingsystem 106, the service call including the transaction details, thelockbox information and the customer authentication information.

Referring to FIG. 3 a flow diagram of a method 300 of transmitting alockbox pickup transaction request is shown, according to an exampleembodiment. The method 300 is in connection with a customer (e.g., anaccount holder at the financial institution) and performed by afinancial institution having a plurality of transaction lockboxes 148 atone or more lockbox locations. The financial institution is a financialinstitution that manages the financial institution computing system 104of FIG. 1 . The lockbox location is an entity that manages a pluralityof lockboxes 148 at a lockbox location and manages the correspondingfinancial institution lockbox computing system 106 of FIG. 1 .

At 304, a transaction request is transmitted from the customer to thefinancial institution. The customer device 102 transmits the transactionrequest to the financial institution computing system 104 via thenetwork 108. The transaction request includes various details definingthe parameters of a lockbox pickup transaction. For example, thetransaction request includes a transaction type, a transaction amount, alockbox location, a time window, and a financial account to use tofacilitate the transaction. The transaction type can be a withdrawal, adeposit, a currency exchange or any other similar transactions involvingthe physical passing of items (e.g., coins and bills). For example, thecustomer could request an exchange, wherein the customer provides 100U.S.D. at a designated lockbox 148 at a lockbox location in exchange forthe equivalent amount in euros. In some arrangements, multipletransaction types are requested in a single request. In someembodiments, the lockbox location and time window can be determined bythe financial institution computing system in real-time (i.e., theavailable lockbox locations on the user interface change, subject toavailability) as the customer enters in the details. For example, thecustomer enters a currency exchange request and the financialinstitution may only have three lockbox locations that could completethe transaction on the day of the request. Alternatively, the financialinstitution may have no lockbox locations available for a transactiontype for a given day, allowing the customer to only select future daysin the time window field. In other embodiments, the customer submits adesired lockbox location and time window to the financial institution,and the customer receives a transaction request approval with thedetails, or a transaction request denial due to unavailability at thelockbox location at the specified time window.

At 306, the financial institution receives the transaction request fromthe customer. The request is transmitted from the customer computingsystem 102 and is received by the financial institution computing system104 via the network 108. After receiving the request, the financialinstitution determines the feasibility of the transaction given thecustomer's parameters. For example, the financial institution maydetermine whether the requested lockbox location will be able tocomplete the withdrawal request between the 3:15 PM and 3:20 PM.

At 308, the financial institution adjusts the customer's financialaccount by the transaction amount (if necessary). The transaction amountincludes the requested amount to be withdrawn or exchanged, and may alsoinclude fees associated with the transaction. Fees are any extra costsassociated with the financial institution providing and carrying out theservice. In some embodiments, the account may be tentatively adjusted,wherein the movement of the funds is shown in the account, but not yetfinalized. For example, if the customer is withdrawing 100 U.S.D. fromtheir account which has 1,000 U.S.D., upon submission of the request,the customer is only able to use 900 U.S.D. to initiate any subsequenttransaction with that account as a source.

At 310, the financial institution transmits a service call to thefinancial institution's lockbox location to conduct the transaction. Thefinancial institution computing system 106 transmits the service call toa lockbox computing system 106 in charge of the determined lockboxlocation. The service call includes several instructions regarding thetransaction details, the lockbox number, the lockbox passcode and othertransaction details. In an embodiment, the service call includesinstructions to configure a lockbox 148 to get ready an amount of acurrency to provide to the customer on arrival, for example in awithdrawal request. In other embodiments, the service call includesinstructions to configure a lockbox 148 to collect a certain amount of acurrency from the customer when unlocked. In some embodiments, thecustomer has to provide a passcode, for example an account password or atransaction specific passcode generated by the financial institution. Inother arrangements, the customer may have to provide a biometric sample.In some embodiments, the customer has a fob for lockbox transaction thatcan be scanned at the lockbox 148 to authenticate the customer. In somearrangements, the service call to the lockbox location includes acommand to store the pending transaction and locked configured lockbox148 for a multiple amount of days, allowing the customer to complete thetransaction at his or her leisure.

At 312, the financial institution transmits the transaction requestconfirmation details to the customer. The financial institutioncomputing system 104 transmits the details to the customer computingsystems 102, including the customer device, customer desktop, etc. Thedetails include a transaction specific passcode or password for thecustomer to use to authenticate upon arrival at the lockbox location. Insome arrangements, the details include information on how change orcancel a transaction request. At 314, the customer receives thetransaction request confirmation details. The customer receives thetransaction confirmation the next time he or she logs into his or heraccount, or it may be retrieved instantaneously through pushnotifications tied to the financial institution.

At 316, the lockbox computing system 106 that manages the chosen lockboxlocation receives the service call. In some embodiments, the lockboxlocation can alter the transaction details and send the changes to thefinancial institution, which in turn sends the update to the customer.For example, the lockbox location may have an unexpected issue thatcauses a delay in all the services, including the lockbox pickupservice. At 318, the lockbox location prepares the transaction items. Insome arrangements, the lockbox location may have to retrieve a-nonU.S.D. currency from another location (e.g., another lockbox location ora currency exchange partner) ahead of the arrival of the customer. Inother arrangements, the lockbox 148 is specifically constructed tocomplete the transaction type. In some arrangements, this is an ATM-likecurrency dispenser and receptacle. For example, if the transaction typeis a currency exchange the lockbox 148 could be one that contains anATM-like machine that will receive U.S.D. from the customer and uponverifying the amount deposited, the machine dispenses the equivalentamount in foreign currency. In other arrangements, an employee at thelockbox location receives an alert to load a lockbox 148 with thecurrency related to the customer's withdraw or exchange request. Forexample, the employee may open up the designated lockbox number, placethe withdraw transaction funds into the lockbox 148, and lock thelockbox 148 using the passcode. As will be appreciated, the deliverymechanism to complete or organize the service call can include a humanworker at the branch, automated dispenser, autonomous device, drone, andthe like.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a flow diagram of a method 400 of completing alockbox pickup transaction request is shown, according to an exampleembodiment. The method 400 may be performed in connection with themethod 300 of FIG. 3 . However, the method 400 may similarly beperformed in connection with other types of transactions. The method 400is shown in connection with a customer, a lockbox location of thefinancial institution, and a financial institution. For example, thecustomer may be an individual who operates the customer computing system102 of FIG. 1 . The lockbox location may be an entity that manages thefinancial institution lockbox computing system 106 of FIG. 1 . Thefinancial institution may be a financial institution that manages thefinancial institution computing system 104 of FIG. 1 . However, themethod 400 may be similarly performed by other systems and devices.

At 402, the customer receives the transaction request confirmationdetails. The customer device 102 receives the transaction requestconfirmation from the financial institution computing system 104 via thenetwork. The transaction request confirmation details can include alockbox location, any passcode authentication information, and atransaction time range. For example, the customer receives lockboxlocation street address and a designated lockbox number to access, apassword of “password 123” which is needed to complete the withdrawalrequest, and a time window of after 1:15 PM. As described above inconnection with step 312 of the method 300 of FIG. 3 , the transactionrequest may include various details defining the parameters of thelockbox pickup transaction.

At 404, the customer arrives at the lockbox location after the timespecified in the transaction request confirmation details. In someembodiments, the passcode is a customer carried passcode, for example, adebit card with the financial institution that is swiped or scanned togain access. In some arrangements, the customer carried passcode couldbe an electronic token submitted via NFC using a customer device, or alockbox fob special issued by the financial institution to authenticatethe lockbox transactions. In some embodiments, the passcode could be aPIN code, a barcode reader or a biometric scan of the customer.

Upon transmission of the passcode by the customer, at 406, the financialinstitution lockbox system 106 receives a customer passcodenotification. The customer device 102 could transmit the passcode to thefinancial institution lockbox system 106 when in close proximity to thespecified lockbox. Alternatively, the customer could enter theauthentication information into the input terminal 201. In somearrangements a camera could be viewing the lockbox 148, allowing thefinancial institution to ascertain the customer's identity for anydisputes or issues arising out of the transaction. In some arrangements,a camera is also placed inside of the lockbox 148 to monitor thetransmission of the transaction funds.

At 408, the lockbox 148 unlocks. The transaction items inside thelockbox includes the currency amount request for a withdrawal, acurrency repository for a deposit request, a second currency type of theamount requested for a currency exchange request, or a combination ofthe like.

At 410, the customer accesses the transaction items. In somearrangements involving a deposit request, the customer inserts thecurrency into a collection device. In other arrangements involving adeposit request, the currency can be placed inside the empty lockbox148. In some embodiments involving a withdrawal transaction, therequested currency can be placed within the lockbox 148. In otherarrangements, the lockbox 148 could have an ATM-like device, connectedto a currency repository, that dispenses the requested currency amount.Upon receiving access to the transaction items, at 412, the customercompletes the transaction with the lockbox 148 and closes it, thelockbox 148 re-locking. In some arrangements, the customer has toprovide a signature or swipe a card issued by the financial institutionto finalize and complete the transaction.

At 414, the lockbox 148 is checked to ensure that the completedtransaction was done in accordance with the requested transaction. Insome arrangements, this check is done by a financial institutionemployee at the lockbox location. In some arrangements, a processor isable to scan or sense the lockbox 148 and determine the lockbox details.In some embodiments, the sensor will inform the customer that thetransaction is incomplete (e.g., not enough funds were deposited for anexchange, or currency was left in the lockbox in a withdrawal).Thecustomer device 102 would receive a message indicating the deficiencyand how the customer can fix the issue, for example, by returning to thelockbox and taking all of the funds.

At 416, a transaction confirmation is generated by the financialinstitution's lockbox system 106 and sent to the financial institution.The transaction confirmation includes relevant transaction details, suchas the type of transaction that occurred, the amount of the transaction,the time window of the transaction, the actual time the transactionoccurred and additional notes on the transaction. In some embodiments,it may include a video, from the cameras situated in the lockboxlocation, of the transaction occurring. In some arrangements, thepicture of the customer could be take and sent with the confirmationdetails.

At 418, the financial institution receives the notification of thetransaction confirmation from the lockbox 148 and determines whether ornot the transaction was completed correctly, and in accordance with therequest. If the transaction completed details show a short coming by thelockbox 148, the financial institution will try to rectify those issuesmoving forward. This may improve the customer experience with theservice.

At 420, the financial institution finalizes the adjustment of thecustomer's financial account by the transaction amount, such as in theinitial adjustment of step 308 of method 300 of FIG. 3 . The transactionamount includes the requested amount to be withdrawn, deposited orexchanged, and also include fees associated with the transaction. Feesare associated with the financial institution processing the transactionand/or for use of the lockbox pickup service.

At 422, the financial institution compiles a confirmation and lockboxpickup transaction details message to send to the customer. The detailscan be similar to the details transmitted in step 416 of method 400. At424, the customer receives the confirmation and lockbox pickuptransaction details. The customer may receive the confirmation andlockbox pickup transaction details the next time he or she logs into hisor her account, or it may be retrieved instantaneously through pushnotifications tied to the financial institution.

FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate an example graphical user interface (“GUI”) 500that may be utilized to submit a lockbox pickup transaction request,according to an example embodiment. For example, the GUI 500 may bedisplayed to the customer via the customer computing system 102 of FIG.1 . The GUI 500, for example, may be the GUI 500 related to the lockboxbanking circuit 118 (e.g., the GUI of the financial institution lockboxsmartphone application, the GUI of the financial institution lockboxwebsite, etc.). The GUI 500 may be utilized in connection with themethod 300 of FIG. 3 and the method 400 of FIG. 4 , according to exampleembodiments. For example, the customer may utilize the GUI 500 to submita lockbox pickup transaction request, via method 300. As anotherexample, the customer may utilize the GUI 500 to receive a lockboxpickup transaction request confirmation from the financial institutionand complete the lockbox pickup transaction, via method 400. However, itshould be understood that the GUI 500 may similarly be utilized on otherdevices to conduct lockbox pickup transactions.

FIG. 5A illustrates a menu page 501 of the GUI 500, according to anembodiment. The GUI 500 includes a mobile banking interface that isdisplayed to the customer after accessing the lockbox banking circuit118 that has been installed on the customer computer system 102. Inanother embodiment, the GUI 500 is similarly be accessed via an onlinebanking website. Upon accessing the GUI 500, the customer is prompted toprovide login credentials to gain access to the account with thefinancial institution. By providing such credentials, the customer isprovided with the full functionality of the online banking system in thelockbox banking circuit. In an example embodiment, the menu page 501includes a plurality of menu option for the customer's specific fiatcurrency financial account 502. In this example, the customer isauthorized to execute lockbox pickup services from the customer's fiatcurrency financial account. The menu page 501 includes several menubuttons labeled with a corresponding action. For example, the menubuttons include a withdraw button 504, a deposit button 506, an exchangebutton 508, and a transaction history 510 button.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, a lockbox pickup service withdraw funds page512 of the GUI 500 of FIG. 5A is illustrated. For example, the lockboxpickup service withdraw funds page 512 is displayed in response to acustomer selection of the withdraw button 504 on the menu bar providedin FIG. 5A. The lockbox pickup service withdraw funds page 512 providesthe customer a plurality of fields to easily facilitate receiving cash,lockbox pickup at a lockbox location. According to an embodiment, thelockbox pickup service withdraw funds page 512 includes a source accountfield 514, a source account balance field 516, an amount field 518, azip code field 520, a lockbox location field 522, a pickup passcodefield 524, and a ready by field 525.

The source account field 514 defines which account the customer wouldlike to use to complete the transaction. This could be, for example, thechecking account for which the customer would like the withdrawn fundsto be taken from. In some arrangements, the source account field 514 isdefaulted to the account that was originally selected to begin thelockbox pickup service transactions, for example the specific fiatcurrency financial account 502 as shown in FIG. 5A. The customer maychange the source account fund to another fiat currency financialaccount with the financial institution, which may cause the specificfiat currency financial account 502 to update to the newly selectedoption.

The source account balance field 516 displays the amount of availablefunds in the selected account in the source account field 514. Thesource account balance field 516 will update, in real-time, the balancedepending on the account selected by the customer. The amount field 518displays how much the customer would like to use in the selected lockboxpickup transaction. For example, the customer selects to withdraw fromthe selected account 10 U.S.D. In some arrangements, the amount field518 will only allow the customer to enter an amount less than or equalto the source account balance field 516. In some arrangements, when thecustomer selects the withdraw option and enters the amount of currencyto be withdrawn, the customer gets an additional field that allows thecustomer to enter the denominations of each value of currency he or shewould like. For example, if the customer requests to withdraw 30 U.S.D.from the checking account, an additional field may allow the customer todesignate that he or she receives one ten dollar bill and one twentydollar bill.

The zip code field 520 allows the customer to enter the zip code for thearea in which he or she would like to find a financial institutionlockbox location to complete the transaction. In some arrangements, thecustomer is able to enter a full address in the zip code field 520 toprovide for more accurate location matching by the financialinstitution. The lockbox location field 522 is a drop down menu of allthe lockbox locations within the customer entered zip code. In somearrangements, the lockbox location field 522 is updated in real-time, inresponse to the value entered in the zip code field 522. In otherarrangements, the lockbox location field 522 updates in response to thecustomer entering in a desired pickup time in the field, at 525.

The pickup passcode field 524 allows the customer to choose which formof authentication to be used by the lockbox location on the subsequentlockbox pickup transaction by the customer. As shown in FIG. 5B, thecustomer may require that the financial institution email a one-timepasscode to the customer's email address, that the customer provide abiometric sample, that the customer provide an multi-use accountpassword, or that the customer be able to utilize near fieldcommunication to authenticate.

The ready by field 525 allows the customer to enter the date that thecustomer would like to complete the lockbox pickup transaction. In somearrangements, the lockbox location field 522 updates, in real-time, inresponse to the pickup date options displayed in the field 526. In someembodiments, the pickup date field 526 is a drop down option menu, theoptions responsive to the transaction type and selected lockboxlocation. In other arrangements, the customer may enter in the date, insome format, for example MM/DD/YYYY.

The customer may choose to approve the transaction displayed byselecting the “Submit” button 528, or the customer may cancel thetransaction request via the “Cancel” button 526. In some embodiments,either selection leads to an additional confirmation prompt by theapplication, for example as shown in FIG. 5C.

Referring now to FIG. 5C, a lockbox pickup service withdraw fundsrequest summary page 529 of the GUI 500 of FIG. 5A is illustrated. Forexample, the withdraw funds request summary page 529 is displayed inresponse to a customer selection of the “confirm” button on the buttonbar provided in FIG. 5B. The withdraw funds request summary page 529provides the customer a plurality of fields that summarize the detailsregarding the request submission, and reflects availability changes.According to an embodiment, the withdraw funds request summary page 529includes a source account field 530, a transaction amount field 532, afees field 533, a source account balance field 534, and a locationdetails field 536.

The source account field 530, the transaction amount field 532 and thesource account balance field 534 display the information entered intothe withdraw funds page 512 as shown in FIG. 5B. The fees field 533 ofthe GUI 500 displays fees associated with the transaction. The fees maybe associated with one or both of the financial institution and the MBCpartner. The transaction amount field 532 is the total transactionamount in fiat currency that the customer's account will be debited uponexecuting the transaction. The total transaction amount may include therequested amount to be transmitted to the recipient, and also any feesassociated with the transaction.

The location details field 536 includes the relevant information for thecustomer to arrive at the proper lockbox location and complete thetransaction. The location details field includes a plurality of fieldsthat summarize the location details and includes a lockbox locationfield 538, a lockbox number field 540, a passcode field 542, a pickupdate field 544 and a ready by field 546. The lockbox location field 538is the customer selected option from the drop down menu of all thelockbox locations within the customer entered zip code. The lockboxnumber field 540 is generated by the financial institution once therequest has been received and approved. The lockbox number field 540 isthe lockbox that the customer can access and complete the transaction.The passcode field 542 displays the customer's selection for the form ofauthentication to be used by the lockbox location on the lockbox pickuptransaction. For example, the customer may have requested that thefinancial institution email a one-time password to the customer's emailaddress, such as “jDoe@email.com” as shown in FIG. 5C.

The pickup data field 544 displays the customer's choice of the datethat the customer would like to complete the lockbox pickup transaction.In some arrangements, the date is a result of the financial institutionchoosing the best date based on a multiple date options selected by thecustomer in a previous menu. The pickup time field 546 displays the timeat which the customer would like the lockbox to be ready to complete thetransaction.

The customer may choose to approve the transaction displayed byselecting the “Confirm” button 550, or the customer may cancel thetransaction request via the “Cancel” button 548. In some embodiments,either selection may lead to an additional confirmation prompt by theapplication.

Referring now to FIG. 5D, a lockbox pickup service exchange funds page552 of the GUI 500 of FIG. 5A is illustrated. For example, the lockboxpickup service exchange funds page 552 is displayed in response to acustomer selection of the exchange button 508 on the menu bar providedin FIG. 5A. The lockbox pickup service exchange funds page 552 providesthe customer a plurality of fields to easily facilitate receiving cash,lockbox pickup at a lockbox location. According to an embodiment, thelockbox pickup service exchange funds page 552 includes a source accountfield 554, a source account balance field 556, an exchange amount field558, a foreign currency type 560, an equivalent amount field 561, a zipcode field 562, a lockbox location field 564, and an exchange passcodefield 566.

The source account field 554 defines which account the customer wouldlike to use to complete the transaction. This could be, for example, thechecking account for which the customer would like the exchange funds tobe taken from. In some arrangements, the source account field 554 isdefaulted to the account that was originally selected to begin thelockbox pickup service transactions, for example the specific fiatcurrency financial account 502 as shown in FIG. 5A. The customer maychange the source account fund to another fiat currency financialaccount with the financial institution, which causes the specific fiatcurrency financial account 502 to update to the newly selected option.In some arrangements, the customer may select to pay for the exchangeupon arrival at the lockbox location. For example, the customer couldprovide 100 U.S.D. in cash at the lockbox pickup location to the lockboxin exchange for the equivalent amount.

The source account balance field 556 displays the amount of availablefunds in the selected account in the source account field 502. Thesource account balance field 556 can update, in real-time, the balancedepending on the account selected by the customer. The exchange amountfield 558 displays how much the customer would like to use in theexchange currency lockbox pickup transaction. For example, the customerselects to exchange from the selected account 100 U.S.D. In somearrangements, the exchange amount field 558 will only allow the customerto enter an amount less than or equal to the source account balancefield 556. In some arrangements, when the customer selects the exchangeoption and enters the exchange amount 558 of currency to be exchanged,the customer may get an additional field that allows the customer toenter the denominations of each value of currency he or she would liketo end up with at the completion of the exchange. For example, if thecustomer requests to exchange 50 U.S.D. from the checking account forthe equivalent amount of a foreign currency, for example euros, anadditional field allows for the customer to designate that he or shereceives five €2 coins.

The equivalent amount field 561 of the GUI 500 displays an amount in thecustomer's primary fiat currency (e.g., U. S.D.) that is equivalent tothe amount of foreign currency requested in the exchange amount field558 and the currency type in the currency type field 560. For example,as shown in FIG. 5D, if the U.S.D. amount in the amount field 558 is 50U.S.D., the equivalent amount field 561 of the GUI 500 displays theamount of euro currency equivalent to the requested amount of U.S.D. Insome arrangements where the customer selects to receive an amount of theforeign currency, the equivalent amount field 561 displays how muchU.S.D currency is required to complete the exchange.

The zip code field 562 allows the customer to enter the zip code for thearea in which he or she would like to find a financial institutionlockbox location to complete the transaction. In some arrangements, thecustomer is be able to enter a full address in the zip code field 562 toprovide for more accurate location matching by the financialinstitution. The lockbox location field 564 is a drop down menu of allthe lockbox locations within the customer entered zip code. In somearrangements, the lockbox location field 564 is updated in real-time, inresponse to the value entered in the zip code field 562. In somearrangements, the lockbox location field 564 may be limited due tolockbox locations lacking the currency type that the customer wants toexchange the U.S.D. for. In other arrangements, the lockbox locationfield 564 updates in response to the customer entering in a desiredpickup date and pickup time in provided fields (not pictured).

The customer may choose to approve the transaction displayed byselecting the “Submit” button 520, or the customer may cancel thetransaction request via the “Cancel” button 518. In some embodiments,either selection may lead to an additional confirmation prompt by theapplication.

The embodiments described herein have been described with reference todrawings. The drawings illustrate certain details of specificembodiments that implement the systems, methods and programs describedherein. However, describing the embodiments with drawings should not beconstrued as imposing on the disclosure any limitations that may bepresent in the drawings.

It should be understood that no claim element herein is to be construedunder the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element isexpressly recited using the phrase “means for.”

As used herein, the term “circuit” may include hardware structured toexecute the functions described herein. In some embodiments, eachrespective “circuit” may include machine-readable media for configuringthe hardware to execute the functions described herein. The circuit maybe embodied as one or more circuitry components including, but notlimited to, processing circuitry, network interfaces, peripheraldevices, input devices, output devices, sensors, etc. In someembodiments, a circuit may take the form of one or more analog circuits,electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (IC), discrete circuits,system on a chip (SOCs) circuits, etc.), telecommunication circuits,hybrid circuits, and any other type of “circuit.” In this regard, the“circuit” may include any type of component for accomplishing orfacilitating achievement of the operations described herein. Forexample, a circuit as described herein may include one or moretransistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR,etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors,diodes, wiring, and so on).

The “circuit” may also include one or more processors communicativelycoupled to one or more memory or memory devices. In this regard, the oneor more processors may execute instructions stored in the memory or mayexecute instructions otherwise accessible to the one or more processors.In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be embodied invarious ways. The one or more processors may be constructed in a mannersufficient to perform at least the operations described herein. In someembodiments, the one or more processors may be shared by multiplecircuits (e.g., circuit A and circuit B may comprise or otherwise sharethe same processor which, in some example embodiments, may executeinstructions stored, or otherwise accessed, via different areas ofmemory). Alternatively or additionally, the one or more processors maybe structured to perform or otherwise execute certain operationsindependent of one or more co-processors. In other example embodiments,two or more processors may be coupled via a bus to enable independent,parallel, pipelined, or multi-threaded instruction execution. Eachprocessor may be implemented as one or more general-purpose processors,application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other suitableelectronic data processing components structured to execute instructionsprovided by memory. The one or more processors may take the form of asingle core processor, multi-core processor (e.g., a dual coreprocessor, triple core processor, quad core processor, etc.),microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more processors maybe external to the apparatus, for example the one or more processors maybe a remote processor (e.g., a cloud based processor). Alternatively oradditionally, the one or more processors may be internal and/or local tothe apparatus. In this regard, a given circuit or components thereof maybe disposed locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computingsystem, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server such as acloud based server). To that end, a “circuit” as described herein mayinclude components that are distributed across one or more locations.

An example system for implementing the overall system or portions of theembodiments might include a general purpose computing computers in theform of computers, including a processing unit, a system memory, and asystem bus that couples various system components including the systemmemory to the processing unit. Each memory device may includenon-transient volatile storage media, non-volatile storage media,non-transitory storage media (e.g., one or more volatile and/ornon-volatile memories), etc. In some embodiments, the non-volatile mediamay take the form of ROM, flash memory (e.g., flash memory such as NAND,3D NAND, NOR, 3D NOR, etc.), EEPROM, MRAM, magnetic storage, hard discs,optical discs, etc. In other embodiments, the volatile storage media maytake the form of RAM, TRAM, ZRAM, etc. Combinations of the above arealso included within the scope of machine-readable media. In thisregard, machine-executable instructions comprise, for example,instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform acertain function or group of functions. Each respective memory devicemay be operable to maintain or otherwise store information relating tothe operations performed by one or more associated circuits, includingprocessor instructions and related data (e.g., database components,object code components, script components, etc.), in accordance with theexample embodiments described herein.

It should also be noted that the term “input devices,” as describedherein, may include any type of input device including, but not limitedto, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, joystick or other input devicesperforming a similar function. Comparatively, the term “output device,”as described herein, may include any type of output device including,but not limited to, a computer monitor, printer, facsimile machine, orother output devices performing a similar function.

Any foregoing references to currency or funds are intended to includefiat currencies, non-fiat currencies (e.g., precious metals), andmath-based currencies (often referred to as cryptocurrencies). Examplesof math-based currencies include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and thelike.

It should be noted that although the diagrams herein may show a specificorder and composition of method steps, it is understood that the orderof these steps may differ from what is depicted. For example, two ormore steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence.Also, some method steps that are performed as discrete steps may becombined, steps being performed as a combined step may be separated intodiscrete steps, the sequence of certain processes may be reversed orotherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete processes may bealtered or varied. The order or sequence of any element or apparatus maybe varied or substituted according to alternative embodiments.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.Such variations will depend on the machine-readable media and hardwaresystems chosen and on designer choice. It is understood that all suchvariations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, softwareand web implementations of the present disclosure could be accomplishedwith standard programming techniques with rule based logic and otherlogic to accomplish the various database searching steps, correlationsteps, comparison steps and decision steps.

The foregoing description of embodiments has been presented for purposesof illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive orto limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modificationsand variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may beacquired from this disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and describedin order to explain the principals of the disclosure and its practicalapplication to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. Other substitutions, modifications, changesand omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions andarrangement of the embodiments without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a computingsystem of a provider from a user device associated with a user account,a transaction service request including a transaction identification anda transaction time, the transaction identification comprising an amountof a physical currency type and the transaction time being a desiredtime of a transaction; identifying, by the computing system, a firstplurality of lockbox locations that can complete the transaction servicerequest based on the transaction identification and the transactiontime, the first plurality of lockbox locations being identified from asecond plurality of lockbox locations associated with the provider andbeing within a threshold proximity of a geographic area associated withthe user account, each of the first plurality of lockbox locationshaving a plurality of physical lockboxes; receiving, by the computingsystem from the user device, a selection of one of the lockbox locationsof the first plurality of lockbox locations that can complete thetransaction service request; configuring, by the computing system, aphysical lockbox of the plurality of physical lockboxes of the selectedlockbox location, wherein configuring the physical lockbox is based onthe transaction identification and comprises loading the physicallockbox with the amount of the physical currency type while a door ofthe physical lockbox is locked, wherein the loading of the physicallockbox is performed automatically via an automated dispenser operablycoupled to a currency repository; receiving, by the computing system, anunlock attempt; and transmitting, by the computing system, an unlockcommand to the physical lockbox to unlock the door of the physicallockbox based on a comparison of the unlock attempt to a lockbox lockingpasscode, the unlocked physical lockbox providing access to the amountof the physical currency type.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: generating, by the computing system, a user interface to bedisplayed to a user via the user device, the user interface includingthe first plurality of lockbox locations; and transmitting, by thecomputing system, the user interface to the user device, wherein theselection is received from the user via the user interface.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the user interface further includes a pickuppasscode field configured to receive a selection of a lockbox lockingpasscode format for the lockbox locking passcode.
 4. The method of claim3, wherein the lockbox locking passcode format is one of a passwordstring, an electric token submitted via NFC, a fob used to authenticatethe transaction, or a biometric scan.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe transaction identification further comprises a currency exchange andthe amount of the physical currency type further includes a first amountof a first currency type and a second amount of a second currency type,the second amount of the second currency type being what must beprovided to acquire the first amount of the first currency type, themethod further comprising: validating, by the computing system, thesecond amount of the second currency type is inside the physicallockbox.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating, bythe computing system, a transaction details summary, the transactiondetails summary confirming the unlock command of the transaction servicerequest; and transmitting, by the computing system, a notification ofcompleted transaction and transaction details to a provider computingsystem associated with the provider.
 7. The method of claim 1, whereintransmitting the unlock command further includes a recording command toa recording device.
 8. A computing system associated with a provider,the computing system comprising: a network interface circuit configuredto communicate data to and from a lockbox computing system associatedwith the provider over a network; and one or more processing circuitsconfigured to: receive, from a user device associated with a useraccount, a transaction service request including a transactionidentification and a transaction time, the transaction identificationcomprising an amount of a physical currency type and the transactiontime being a desired time of a transaction; identify a first pluralityof lockbox locations that can complete the transaction service requestbased on the transaction identification and the transaction time, thefirst plurality of lockbox locations being identified from a secondplurality of lockbox locations associated with the provider and beingwithin a threshold proximity of a geographic area associated with theuser account, each of the first plurality of lockbox locations having aplurality of physical lockboxes; receive, from the user device, aselection of one of the lockbox locations of the first plurality oflockbox locations that can complete the transaction service request;configure a physical lockbox of the plurality of physical lockboxes ofthe selected lockbox location, wherein configuring the physical lockboxis based on the transaction identification and comprises loading thephysical lockbox with the amount of the physical currency type while adoor of the physical lockbox is locked, wherein the loading of thephysical lockbox is performed automatically via an automated dispenseroperably coupled to a currency repository; receive an unlock attempt;and transmit an unlock command to the physical lockbox to unlock thedoor of the physical lockbox based on a comparison of the unlock attemptto a lockbox locking passcode, the unlocked physical lockbox providingaccess to the amount of the physical currency type.
 9. The computingsystem of claim 8, wherein the one or more processing circuits arefurther configured to: generate a user interface to be displayed to auser via the user device, the user interface including the firstplurality of lockbox locations; and transmit the user interface to theuser device, wherein the selection is received from the user via theuser interface.
 10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the userinterface further includes a pickup passcode field configured to receivea selection of a lockbox locking passcode format for the lockbox lockingpasscode.
 11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the lockboxlocking passcode format is one of a password string, an electric tokensubmitted via NFC, a fob used to authenticate the transaction, or abiometric scan.
 12. The computing system of claim 8, wherein thetransaction identification further comprises a currency exchange and theamount of the physical currency type further includes a first amount ofa first currency type and a second amount of a second currency type, thesecond amount of the second currency type being what must be provided toacquire the first amount of the first currency type, and the one or moreprocessing circuits are further configured to: validate the secondamount of the second currency type is inside the physical lockbox. 13.The computing system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processingcircuits are further configured to: generate a transaction detailssummary, the transaction details summary confirming the unlock commandof the transaction service request; and transmit a notification ofcompleted transaction and transaction details to a provider computingsystem associated with the provider.
 14. The computing system of claim8, wherein transmitting the unlock command further includes a recordingcommand to a recording device.
 15. One or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media comprising instructions stored thereon that,when executed by one or more processors of a computing system associatedwith a provider, cause the one or more processors to perform operationscomprising: receiving a transaction service request from a user deviceassociated with a user account, the transaction service requestincluding a transaction identification and a transaction time, thetransaction identification comprising an amount of a physical currencytype and the transaction time being a desired time of a transaction;identifying a first plurality of lockbox locations that can complete thetransaction service request based on the transaction identification andthe transaction time, the first plurality of lockbox locations beingdetermined from a second plurality of lockbox locations associated withthe provider and being within a threshold proximity of a geographic areaassociated with the user account, each of the first plurality of lockboxlocations having a plurality of physical lockboxes; receiving, from theuser device, a selection of one of the lockbox locations of the firstplurality of lockbox locations that can complete the transaction servicerequest; configuring a physical lockbox of the plurality of physicallockboxes of the selected lockbox location, wherein configuring thephysical lockbox is based on the transaction identification andcomprises loading the physical lockbox with the amount of the physicalcurrency type while a door of the physical lockbox is locked, whereinthe loading of the physical lockbox is performed automatically via anautomated dispenser operably coupled to a currency repository; receivingan unlock attempt; and transmitting an unlock command to the physicallockbox to unlock the door of the physical lockbox based on a comparisonof the unlock attempt to a lockbox locking passcode, the unlockedphysical lockbox providing access to the amount of the physical currencytype.
 16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media ofclaim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: generating a userinterface to be displayed to a user via the user device, the userinterface including the first plurality of lockbox locations; andtransmitting the user interface to the user device, wherein theselection is received from the user via the user interface.
 17. The oneor more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein theuser interface further includes a pickup passcode field configured toreceive a selection of a lockbox locking passcode format for the lockboxlocking passcode.
 18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readablemedia of claim 17, wherein the lockbox locking passcode format is one ofa password string, an electric token submitted via NFC, a fob used toauthenticate the transaction, or a biometric scan.
 19. The one or morenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein thetransaction identification further comprises a currency exchange and theamount of the physical currency type further includes a first amount ofa first currency type and a second amount of a second currency type, thesecond amount of the second currency type being what must be provided toacquire the first amount of the first currency type, wherein theoperations further comprise: validating the second amount of the secondcurrency type is inside the physical lockbox.
 20. The one or morenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein theoperations further comprise: generating a transaction details summary,the transaction details summary confirming the unlock command of thetransaction service request; and transmitting a notification ofcompleted transaction and transaction details to a provider computingsystem associated with the provider.